Hope is an earnest expectation. We live it every day, often without even thinking about it. For example…
We wait with eager hope for a good meal.
We hope for the next business deal to succeed.
We hope for “Mr. Right” to sweep us off our feet.
We hope for the birth of a child, or for a loved one to return safely from war.
And when the hope becomes reality, joy follows — but only for a season because…
The meal ends.
The deal isn’t enough.
The relationship gets hard.
Children grow up and move away.
Loved ones return and then we take them for granted.
I’m not trying to sound negative. It’s good to hope for God’s blessings! But if we want a hope that lasts—a hope that doesn’t fade or disappoint—we must place our deepest hope in God Himself, not in the temporary gifts of this life.
Examine these promises about hoping in God:
The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:24–25
The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11
You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
When God Himself becomes our most earnest expectation, we gain a living hope that never fades!
How do we learn to make God our greatest expectation? It began for me when I was born again. It caught fire when I earnestly wanted to know God for Who He is—AND I was willing to completely surrender. The release, the joy, the overwhelming peace I experienced in His presence inspired me to write the song, “Whom Have I?”
Now, when anxiety begins to rise, I have learned to stop, remember, and refocus: God is in control. My life belongs to Him and so, too, do all my problems. He is my greatest hope. Pursuing God wholeheartedly has transformed my hope. He is the ONLY one I know I cannot live without.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3–5
God waters the garden of my soul and His presence is my greatest hope.
Father, thank You for offering me a living hope that will never fade. Forgive me for placing my expectations in things that do not last. Teach me to hope in You above all else. Water the garden of my soul with Your presence. Help me surrender every fear, every plan, every dream to You. Be my portion and my joy forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Question:
Where are you placing your greatest hope right now—and if you get it—can it quench the deepest desires of your soul?
